Struggling with Windows 10
 

Hi all, having read through the SH4 and Windows 10 thread, I cant seem to find and/or understand an answer that seems relevant to me, as most are posting about having upgraded to windows 10 and having already played SH4 on earlier OS. However I have just bought the game on Steam, and I cannot seem to get it running for the life of me. I have both SH4 and the U-Boat missions expansion, Ive tried disabling the expansion, but alas no such luck. Any help is greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance.

Hello RedOktober99. Welcome to Subsim. Happy to have you with us. :salute:


Need some more info about your current system. Where you have SH4 installed? Do you have DX 9.0c installed? Where the installation folder is located? What is specifically happening when you try to start SH4? Just anything in general that help us answer your questions.

Hi, sorry for the lack of info, Brewdog mustve gotten to me lol. As Ive bought and installed through steam, all my files are in the SH4 folder that steam creates when it installs. I do have dx 9.0c installed and when I try to boot, steam claims the game is running, but nothing else happens, even the task manager isn't recognising that its open.

Maybe a stupid question, but what are you using to start the game? It should be the SH4.exe.

Are you on a laptop, or desktop RedOktober99? Do you know what video card is in the computer? What kind of display do you have? Do you have another hard drive that you could move your Steam Library to? Where it is now will not affect it running correctly in Stock trim. You want to use that Uboat Missions expansion version, btw. The v1.3 from Steam is an odd beast of a different sort, and can be frustrating.

As cdrsubron7 said, you need the DirectX v9.0c that came with your Steam download. You also need to install the Windows Media 9 Codecs that are in with that, if they're listed separately in the Steam install. They might not be, but on a disk install, they are at the bottom of the list, after the DirectX, Adobe & Uplay choices. Uplay should not be on the Steam menu.

Are you logged into the Steam app on your computer when you attempt to start the game? You have to use the Steam Library menu at least the first time you start the game so that the license catches up with your computer.

As cdrsubron 7 says: "Welcome to SubSim!" :subsim:

:salute:

PS: cdrsubron7 is ~fast~ man - and good too! :yeah:

I've tried booting it up straight from steam and using the .exe and trying to run said .exe in admin mode, all have the same results sadly

Yeah, first time, run it from the Steam app, logged-in, and use the Library - but "kill" all the other instances of it first. :salute:

I'm on a laptop, and sadly no I don't know, it's coming up to 1.30 am here so I'l try moving my library from my external hardrive to the internal ssd and keep you all informed as/when I do. Thanks for the help folks! Very much appreciated

Do not put the Library in the Steam install folder, which is inside the Programs Files folder. I made a "C:\Games" folder, and put the Steam Library in that. Windows will not allow mods to take if you are in the Program Files (x86) folder.

I forgot to mention earlier, that my 2nd subsim game was "The Hunt For Red October" on the Commodore 64 machine... disk swaps were the rule of the day back then... :har:

Is your laptop and Intel then, or an AMD? :salute:

Have You Solved This Yet
 

Like the title sez. I'm running this on Win 10 with no problems although not using Steam version. There were some post-installation setup challenges without which the simulation would not run. If you like I could post an abbreviated copy of my notes (the original is sort of big). You might find something helpful in there or ... I could link you to the material in my web site. Not sure if the forum allows links to member sites so would have to check that first..

Cpt JHzlwd

I have had same problem on other steam games. Try to start by navigating to the SH4 program folder and clicking the sh4.exe. If that works, you can make a shortcut on the desktop by right clicking on sh4.exe and selecting create shortuct.

Propbeanie's idea is probably preferable...

As some in here will know, I had total failure to load. I messed around with compatibility and finally got it running in a res of 1920 x something, courtesy of propbeanie. I think windows 10 is showing some sort of auto compatibility nowadays, as my copy of Far Cry 2, auto adjusted itself and ran. I had been installing new bits including a solid state C drive card and a RTX2070 card. MY monitor runs on 4K direct play. I switched to hgmi and got game running; then switched back - that seems to have done the trick. I dont know if any of that is helpful or relevant. but I hope something works.

oh yeah, I have steam version which would not run; but also had ver 1.3 disk. I installed both separately and disk ver worked. Then I added patch 1.4 and JSGME for mods.

welcome aboard!
 

Struggling with Windows 10
 

I recently had to replace my hard drive and when I reinstalled SH4 it would not work even though I am using the same Vers. of W10 Home as before. So I started going through the Compatibility settings starting at the top and working down. When I got to Vista Service Pk 2 and the DPI settings I had Program DPI not checked and High DPI Checked.
Don't know if you are running update 1809 on W10 but that's the latest and for me was a huge improvement over the previous Upgrade.
I also installed SH4 in my Public folders section. I have heard it is advisable to installed the game somewhere other than the root or program dir.
Good Luck & Welcome Aboard
:k_confused:

Stuck on pause
 

Windows 10 here on my laptop. Game from steam. I start the game up, everything loads, but the game starts and says Game Paused. I am not able to increase TC to get it to run:k_confused:

Need a bit more info, like where did you install SH4? What kind of computer, like what kind of cpu, what kind of video card? What's your screen resolution? When you installed, did you install the DirectX v9.0c and the Windows Media Codecs? Have you activated any mod? From the sounds of things, you get the menu, but what are you choosing after that? Like a career, Quick mission or Quick patrol? If you hit your Windows key when the game is stuck, do you see a dialog box in the Task Bar? Can you press the Esc key and go back to the main menu? Does The Museum work (takes a while to load)? "Need more data"... :O: :salute:

I was going to ask a couple of Props questions. My thought was RAM and CPU. I too had steam info that game is already running. I solved that by running and installing the game cd, ignoring SH4 on steam, (got a refund).

Windows 10
 

Get your money back from Steam and buy the CD on Amazon. Ubisoft has FAR to many problems with their Digital Rights Management system (and Steams)
I have the CD's and installed in Windows 10 any it works fine. MY problem is I also with the 1.5 U-Boat addon I PURCHASED from Ubisoft. When I installed it, the game won't boot. I can't activate it with the activation code they sent me.
I have ten emails with tech support and there last one was they wanted a picture of the original CD. They have done NOTHING to solve the problem.

The point of this is stick with the CD and if you can't install it and boot the game - return it as defective to wherever you bought it. You will get no help from Ubi.

The next ubisoft game will be called SuperBugs - par for their course

:har: unfortunately, they all do it. I don't think I've seen a game ever that came out that didn't have "bugs", some to the point to where you couldn't even play the game. Unfortunately ~all~ the software companies, including "modern" OS writers are the same, seemingly using the users as beta testers, or guinea pigs... reminds me of when I was in a band, and you'd record, and one of the guys that had made a mistake in their part would say "they'll fix it in the mix"... back then, the easiest way to "fix it in the mix" was to erase the part and do it again... Silent Hunter 4 is a rare beast in that they eventually got close, so long as you remember it has limitations. :salute: